Civil society group Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has described the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) as an “absolute failure” and called upon the Union government to repeal it. It urged the government to frame a law to protect refugees staying in the country.
“The CAA has been an absolute failure. It does not protect even the refugees belonging to religious minorities from neighbouring countries who had entered into India prior to 31 December 2014,” RRAG Director Suhas Chakma stated in a press release, which also argued that the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the resulting displacement of Afghans have shown the need for India to have a non-discriminatory refugee law.
Mr. Chakma pointed out inconsistencies in the government’s policy towards refugees coming out of crisis-hit Myanmar. India had treated the Rohingya refugees in a harsh manner, he alleged.
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Rohingya refugees
“While the State government of Mizoram has been allowed to extend the necessary humanitarian assistance to about 15,000 Chin refugees from Myanmar who fled since 1 February 2021, the Rohingya refugees continue to face arrest and detention for illegal entry into India,” he said.
There were at least 3,50,000 refugees in India who were deprived of protection from possible deportation based on domestic political or global factors, the release noted. It argued for a refugee law to ensure humanitarian treatment towards the displaced persons coming from Afghanistan, Myanmar and other parts of India’s neighbourhood.
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